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“People only think about water when they turn on the tap and no water comes out, or when they get their bill. To get people to care about water, you have to get people to think about water.” –Harold Evans, Chairman, Greeley Water & Sewer Board

Your donation of any amount will bring us closer to our goal of paying the artists, musicians and animators that bring this story to life.

Here are our currents needs:

Cinematographer for one Continuous Aerial shot of the Cache la Poudre River from the headwaters at Poudre Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park to the confluence at the South Platte in Greeley, Colorado. Necessary to show the network of canals and diversions that make this a working river, which sustains the population, agriculture and other business, of Northern Colorado. We were recently awarded a DONATED flight for the purpose of obtaining this aerial footage from LightHawk, a non-profit organization supporting conservation. This donated flight has a value of over $6000 but we need to pay the cinematographer for time and equipment.Pay the Cinematographer: $2500

Historical Animation of the 1874 Dispute on the Poudre River between Union Colony farmers (now Greeley) and the Fort Collins Agricultural Colony that led to current water law in nine western states. We have partnered with local artist Chris Bates of Mighty Fine Art & Ethan Lindhout/Royce Hoffner of EvrlGlo Media to create an artist rendering of this scene wherein Union Colony farmers, who had dug canals from the river to irrigate farms, noticed the river flow diminished, and having traveled upstream, discovered that indeed canals had been constructed to take water from the river. The resolution of this dispute contributed to the “Prior Appropriation” (First in Time, First in Right) Doctrine of senior and junior water rights still in use today. Funding includes artist rendering and animation. Necessary to educate on the history of western water law and the significance of the Poudre River in that history. Pay the Artist: $4500Pay the Animator: $4500

Western Genre Musical Score Instrumental composition by local composer, Greth Ligon (composer of the western score for the short film, There is No Later When I Left Home), necessary to add interest and uniqueness to the film through the creative element of the western style film genre. The score will be used with the 1874 historical animation, the 1986 reenactment, and other scenes where instrumental music is needed.Pay the Composer: $2500

School-House-Rock-Style Animation to explain western water law in the simplest, most understandable terms. We hired local singer/songwriter Theresa Brodzinski and her band, Lois and the Lantern to write and record a School-House-Rock-style song that will educate the viewer about Prior Appropriation and how it differs from the Riparian Rights water law that is in use in the Eastern U.S. We are in the process of choosing an artist to illustrate the song in an animation.Pay the Songwriter $500
Pay the Band: $600
Pay the Recording Studio: $400
Pay the Animator: $1000
Total Amount: $2500

Cartoon Animation of Climate Change Lecture In front of a green screen we captured Scott Denning Ph.D, Atmospheric Science Department, CSU presenting an important and relevant piece of his lecture Simple, Serious & Solvable: the 3 S’s of Climate Change, the section on how climate change will affect water supplies in the American West. Necessary to make Dr. Denning’s presentation come alive with cartoon pictures and color, that illustrate this story, which will be woven into the film.Pay the Animator: Total Amount: $1200

Rango Movie Clip Clearance Fees. In the opening scene of Watering the West, children play on the banks of the Poudre River and they hear the sheriff in Rango say, “That’s the immutable law of the desert. He who controls the water, controls everything.”Total Amount: Unknown

Attorney Fees This is an estimate of attorney fees for film clips and music clearances, necessary to obtain Errors and Omissions Insurance. We have a signed agreement with Creative Law Network, a Denver Colorado entertainment law firm.Total Attorney Fees: $6000

Post Production Rough Cut Editing Writer/Editor Shari Due will be editing a rough cut for 8 weeks starting in early December. This final push is the most important phase of the film. It is the crafting of the story that takes uninterrupted focus. Prior to this point, footage has been shot, logged, categorized, and sorted into themes. Then it is time for those dots to be connected. We are seeking funds for Ms. Due’s time, which will allow her to minimize freelance video work in order to fully focus on Watering the West. The film will then be sent to Evrglo Media for finishing touches including color, style, sound design and titles.Pay the Writer/Editor: $5000

Become an Executive Producer
For a donation of $5000 you will receive an Executive Producer credit on Watering the West. Contact the filmmakers about becoming an Executive Producer.